General: Closed his career as the NCAA's all-time leading tackler with 545 hits (the NCAA began keeping official defensive statistics in 2000) ... Recorded double-digit tackle totals in 29 career games ... Notched three career games with 20 or more tackles ... Started 40 career games, his last 34 in succession ... Emotional and physical leader of NU's defense ... Was at his best when things weren't going well and the defense needed a lift ... Coaching staff best described McGarigle as "relentless."

2005: Consensus second-team All-Big Ten selection ... True senior ... Named one of 10 semifinalists for the Dick Butkus Award (nation's top linebacker) and was named one of 12 semifinalists for the Chuck Bednarik Award (nation's top defensive player) ... Also was on the Watch List for: Rotary Lombardi Award (top lineman), Bronko Nagurski (top defensive) and Ronnie Lott IMPACT (top defensive player) ... Co-recipient of NU's Wildcat Warrior Award ... Named to numerous preseason award watch lists: Rotary Lombardi (top lineman/linebacker), Bronko Nagurski (top defensive player), Chuck Bednarik (top defensive player), Dick Butkus (linebacker) and Ronnie Lott (defensive IMPACT) ... Street & Smith's preseason second-team All-America and first-team All-Big Ten ... Sporting News, Lindy's, collegefootballnews.com, Rivals.com and Athlon Sports preseason second-team all-Big Ten ... 11th-ranked outside linebacker on Lindy's player ratings list and 14th on TSN ... Tabbed one of TSN's three "Biggest Hitters" in its "Clutch Players" section ... Designated by Street & Smith's as the Big Ten player with the "Best Instincts" ... Became Northwestern's career tackle leader in the first quarter of the Iowa (Nov. 5) game ... Finished the contest with 13 tackles ... Totaled a game-high 17 tackles (nine solos) vs. UCLA in the Sun Bowl, pushing his NU and NCAA-record-total to 545 (previous NU mark was 503) ... Finished the year second on the Big Ten (fourth nationally) tackle list (13.0 per game) ... After recording a career-best 25 tackles (and a 2005 Division I-A single-game best) on Oct. 8 against Wisconsin, jumped from fourth to first on the Big Ten's tackle list ... Totaled 21 tackles (11 solos), as well as an interception, vs. Michigan ... Tabbed the Walter Camp Football Foundation and Bronko Nagurski National Defensive Player of the Week for his performance against Wisconsin: career-high 25 tackles (personal-best 15 solo tackles), career-best 3.5 TFL's and a career-best two sacks ... His 21-tackle effort vs. Michigan was tied for sixth-most in 2005 ... Named the Big Ten Co-Defensive Player of the Week for his Wisconsin effort ... It was his third such honor from the Big Ten ... Also earned College Football News Co-Big Ten Player of the Week honors with teammate Tyrell Sutton ... NU's leading tackler in first four games as well: Ohio (9), Northern Illinois (17), Arizona State (10) and Penn State (9) ... Had a forced fumble and quarterback hurry vs. Ohio ... Notched two TFL's and a fumble recovery against NIU ... Registered a pass breakup vs. Arizona State ... Totaled seven solo hits, including a 2-yard TFL as well as a pass breakup and hurry vs. Penn State ... In addition to his nine tackles vs. the Boilermakers, had a fumble recovery and a breakup ... 10 tackles at Illinois.

2004: Consensus All-Big Ten honoree -- earned first-team honors from the media ... Team's co-MVP ... Led nation in solo tackles per game (8.5) and led Big Ten and ranked third nationally in total tackles (12.6 per game) ... Finished season with 151 tackles, seventh-most on NU's single-season list ... Garnered the Walter Camp Foundation and Bronko Nagurski National Division I-A Defensive Player of the Week honors on Oct. 31 for his season-best 21-tackle effort in NU's win over Purdue ... Also received his first Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week honor for his performance ... Named to the Nagurski Defensive Player of the Year Watch List ... Named an honorable mention mid-season All-American by SI.com ... Notched double-digit tackle totals in last eight games ... Registered a 15-tackle effort vs. Indiana (11 solos) ... Had a stellar performance in win over Ohio State: 13 tackles (11 solos), a forced fumble and pass breakup ... Named team's defensive player of the game for that effort ... Registered seven tackles in season opener vs. TCU ... Named team's Big Defensive Playmaker vs. Arizona State ... Totaled 12 tackles (11 solos), including a sack and another TFL ... Also had a pass breakup vs. ASU ... 10 tackles, including a TFL, vs. Kansas ... Led NU with nine tackles (six solos) at Minnesota ... Game-high 14 tackles (10 solos) at Wisconsin ... Against Purdue, totaled eight solo hits, 13 assisted hits and a pass breakup ... Racked up 12 tackles (seven solos), including 10 in the first half, at Penn State ... Led all players with 14 tackles (season-high 12 solos) at Michigan ... Totaled 14 tackles (season-high 12 solos), including a TFL and breakup, vs. Illinois ...
Earned second Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week honor for his 10-tackle, one-interception game at Hawaii.

2003: Named an honorable mention All-Big Ten selection by the media ... Fifth in Big Ten in tackles per game ... His 140 season tackles were the 11th-best single-season figure in NU history ... Knocked out of the Indiana game early on with a concussion ... Came back to lead NU to its best defensive performance (in terms of points allowed in a Big Ten game) in several years ... Totaled a then-career-high 17 tackles (nine solos) against the Badgers ... Also recorded his first career interception ... Registered a season-high 19-tackle effort vs. Penn State ... Also had a QB hurry ... Missed much of preseason with a hamstring injury ... Unable to play against Kansas ... Returned for Air Force, and in 29 plays, had 12 tackles (six solos) and a fumble recovery ... Registered nine tackle (six solos) vs. Miami ... Led team with 12 tackles (eight solos), a sack and a forced fumble at Duke ... Named team's defensive big playmaker vs. the Blue Devils ... Totaled 12 tackles (six solos) and a pass breakup at Ohio State ... Five tackles and a quarterback hurry vs. Minnesota ... Three solo tackles at Indiana before the injury ... Registered 12 tackles (nine solos), including a TFL, at Purdue ... Totaled 13 tackles, including two TFLs, against Illinois ... Contributed 12 tackles (five solos), including a season-best two TFL's vs. Bowling Green in the Motor City Bowl ... Led NU in tackles per game (11.7 per game) and in solo tackles (82).

2002: With the loss of Pat Durr at middle linebacker and the move of John Pickens from outside to middle linebacker, he was the backup outside (will) linebacker through the Minnesota game ... Made first collegiate start at Penn State and responded with 15 hits (nine solos and one TFL) ... Started last five games and finished as team's third-leading tackler (98), 16th-most tackles in Big Ten ... Second on team with 50 solo hits ... Closed rookie season vs. Illinois with a season-high 16 tackles, whic included a season-best 10 solo tackles ... Had seven (six solo) tackles vs. Purdue ... Eight tackles at Iowa ... Had a team-high 14 tackles (two solos) vs. Indiana ... Eight tackles in 20 plays vs. Duke ... Totaled nine tackles vs. TCU while appearing in 43 plays ... Five tackles (in 11 plays) in opener at Air Force ... Two tackles and a hurry at Navy ... Three tackles at Michigan State ... Three tackles vs. Ohio State ... Eight tackles in 20 plays at Minnesota.

High School: An honorable mention all-state and all-area selection by the Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun-Times and Champaign News-Gazette ... First-team all-conference and Catholic Metropolitan Conference (White Division) Defensive Player of the Year ... Team MVP ... Totaled 107 tackles, which included 25 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks ... Rushed for 1,457 yards (7.2 ypc) and 12 touchdowns as a tailback ... Team finished 6-3 and reached second round of state playoffs ... Member of school's Honor Roll and National Honor Society ... Coached by Dan Galante.

The McGarigle File
Q: A song that best describes you is...
A: Hells Bells -- AC/DC
Q: If you could dine with anyone from any period in history, who would it be?
A: General Patton
Q: If you could have a starring role in any film already made, which movie would you pick?
A: Gladiator or Braveheart
Q: If you had to choose the best television show ever made, which one would you pick?
A: The Simpsons
Q: My favorite pregame ritual is...
A: Bull in the Ring (a warmup exercise that takes place on the field)
Q: My favorite opposing stadium to play in is...
A: Ohio State
Q: The best book I have ever read is...
A: "Lord of the Flies" by William Golding
Q: My ultimate SportsCenter highlight would be...
A: Blindsiding a quarterback and recovering a fumble for a touchdown
Q: My favorite place to visit is...
A: Acapulco, Mexico
Q: The person that inspires me the most is...
A: My grandfather and parents
Q: My favorite food is...
A: Steak or ribs
Q: When I played football as a kid, I pretended to be...
A: Walter Payton
Q: In five words or less describe Coach Walker...
A: Tough
Q: Which current NU football player is the biggest jokester?
A: Frederic Tarver
Q: If you could suddenly possess an extraordinary talent in one of the arts, what would you like it to be?
A: I would like to be able to play the drums